The present invention relates to a center cap for a vehicle wheel, and in particular to the connection of a decorative wheel center cap to a vehicle wheel assembly.
Ornamental outer coverings have been employed for providing a decorative surface to the exposed surface of wheels for many years. These outer coverings offer design flexibility in that various configurations may be used to cover a single style wheel. One aspect of some of these outer coverings has been the utilization of a center cap to cover the central hub aperture of an associated wheel. These center caps 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, have been held in connection with the wheel by various means, one of which incorporates a plurality of connecting tabs 4. Typically, the tabs 4 of the shown design include sharp corners 6 that contact the associated wheel during the assembly of the center cap with the wheel. As these components are assembled, the sharp corners 6 of the tabs 4 dig into the surface of the wheel proximate the central hub, thereby increasing the force required to be exerted on the center cap 2 to assemble the cap 2 with the wheel, resulting in degradation to the corrosion barrier finish and a destruction of the aesthetic finish on the wheel. These problems are magnified when the wheel cap is constructed of a material that is significantly harder than the associated wheel, such as when the wheel cap is covered with a chrome finish and the wheel is constructed from aluminum and the like.
A central cap is desired that reduces the force required to assemble the cap with an associated wheel, and that does not adversely effect the protective and aesthetic finish of the wheel during assembly.